Marco Rubio’s double loss? No GOP dream act OR VP slot

It was just 14 seconds ago in political time that GOP Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was the party’s golden boy. But that was so 14 seconds ago. Now comes word that he’s not even being vetted as a potential VP for Mitt Romney — AND — his much-discussed but undetailed GOP alternative to the Dream Act might never see daylight.

(Later in the day — perhaps after realizing he was possibly ticking off any Latinos who might be attracted to Rubio — Romney backtracked and said that the ABC “story was entirely false. Marco Rubio is being thoroughly vetted as part of our process.” Oy.)

“When the president ignores the Congress, ignores the Constitution and forces a policy like this down the throat of the American people, it’s going to make it harder to have a conversation like that,” Rubio said. “It’s going to make it harder to elevate the debate.”
It’s going to be hard to deliver this in an election year. The president just made it harder.”

“I didn’t want this to be a divisive thing. I didn’t want to intro a bill that immediately led to all of the squabbling that has invariably doomed efforts at reform in the past,” he said. “And to do that, you have to sit down with all of the stakeholders.”

Not surprisingly, GOP House Speaker John Boehner blamed Obama for the demise of the Dream Act. True, Obama did not pass immigration reform when he had a Democratic Congress and Senate — and he’s heard loud and clear from Latinos that he failed on that.

But it’s not like Boehner has been any help. Here’s what Boehner said in April when asked if there was hope for a Dream Act:

“There’s always hope,” Boehner said. “I did talk to Senator Rubio about his idea, and he gave me some particulars about how this would work. I found it of interest. But the problem with this issue is that we’re operating in a very hostile political environment and to deal with a very difficult issue like this I think it would be difficult at best.”